Durban - A 15-year-old Wentworth boy, who was burnt when acid was thrown at his face by a fellow pupil just before the Easter weekend, fears he may have to live with his scars for the rest of his life.
The teenage boy was treated in hospital and will return to school on Saturday.
The incident happened when Lindrooi Dorkin, a Grade 10 pupil at Fairvale Secondary school, became involved in a fight outside his school.
“All I wanted to do was help my friend but I ended up getting into trouble,” said an emotional Dorkin.
He recalled the traumatic moment when he felt his skin smoulder and melt, thinking he was about to die.
“Just before school closed for the April holidays, there was a fall-out between my best friend and another pupil (the attacker). I intervened because I didn’t want the situation to get out of control. But then I was threatened,” said Dorkin.
He said the following day, the attacker said he was going to “kill him” after school and that the “bigger boys” from the gangs outside school were going to sort him out.
“I was scared and didn’t know what to expect. The next day, five boys from a gang called the OGBs (Ogle Boys) came into the school premises to help the attacker fight me. They brought something in a silver container and handed it over to him (the attacker).”
Dorkin said that his attacker first picked up a brick and flung it at him.
“I retaliated and picked the brick up to fling it back because I was furious. Before I knew it … the attacker flung the acid on me and I shielded the left side of my face. This resulted in the acid scarring only the right side of my face, but it nearly got into my eye,” said Dorkin.
He said it was horrifying and he is worried his face may never look the same.
Dorkin’s grandmother, Rose Dorkin, said that she was grateful his eyes were not damaged.
“He could have been blinded by this. I couldn’t control myself when I saw my grandchild and what happened to him. Something like this happening to an innocent child is unacceptable,” she said.
The family opened a case against the attacker.
“A case of assault GBH has been opened at the Wentworth SAPS,” said SAPS spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker. “Investigations continue and no arrests have been made.”
The principal of Fairview Secondary school, Gary Siddal, said he has yet to deal with the problem because neither of the pupils had returned to school.
“I took both boys to hospital when the incident occurred. Even the boy that threw acid on Lindrooi got some of the liquid on his shoe, injuring his foot. The issue was reported to the department of education and will be dealt with accordingly,” said Siddal.
He said he was unaware of outsiders being on the school property during the incident.
Councillor for the area, Aubrey Snymann, said gangsterism at the school reflected the larger community.
“Wentworth has been plagued by gangsters and this has now led to the issue being a problem at schools,” said Snymann. “This is an unexpected and awful occurrence. Nobody would expect something so extreme from a school pupil.”
He said that the community needed to put extra measures in place to combat the scourge of gangsters.
Sunday Tribune